clamond



v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. GLAMON-D. MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRO'DUQING INTBNSE WHITE LIGHT. 1T0".26 1',52*9.

ATT sT:

N Pains mnwum m nr, Washington. n.c.

8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.(No Model.)

v a. C-LAMOND. MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INTENSE WHITE LIGHT.

No. 261,529. Patented July 25, 1882.

INVENTORI ATTESTIYY N. PETERS. Phnto-Lilhu her. Walhingion. D. c

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

0. OLAMOND.

MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INTENSE WHITE LIGHT.

Patnted July 25, 1882.

ATTEsT; m

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIQE.

CHARLES OLAMOND, OF PARIS, FRANCE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING lNTENSE WHITE LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 261,529, dated July 25, 1882.

Application filed May 29, 1882. (No model.) Patented in England March 24, 1880, No. 2,110; in France May 20, 1880, No. 136,771; in Belgium May 28, 1880, No. 51,576; in Germany May 5, 1881, No.16,640; in Italy June 23, 1881,- in Austria August 29, 1881,

No. 19,302, and in Spain September 5, 188i.

- To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES CLAMOND, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means and Apparatus for Producing Intense White Light, of which the following is a specification.

' I WVhen the combustion of a material rich in carbon is sustained by oxygen an intense white flame is produced, and when the material is of a kind, like hydrogen or carbonic oxide, that does not burn with a luminous flame, great heat is produced by its combination with the oxygen, so that the flame directed on a refrac= tory substance-such as lime-renders itincandescent and causes it to evolve intense light.

These effects are not producedwhen the flame is supplied with atmospheric air, a great portion of the heat being absorbed in heating the large volume of inert nitrogen that accompanies the oxygen of the air.

This invention relates to means and apparatus whereby a flame sustained by atmospheric air is rendered capable of producing the luminous effects of flames sustained byoxygen, this result being obtained by a preliminary heating to a high temperature of the air that sustains the flame, so that little or none of the heat evolved at the point of combustion is absorbed in heating the inert nitrogen. For the combustion of gas in this manner the air on its way to the flame is caused to pass through a tube of refractory material which is heated to a high temperature by jets of the gas playing against its external surface; and in order that the air may be more thoroughly heated, the interior of the tube is divided by partitions having apertures through which the air has to pass in a zigzag manner, being subdivided into numerous streams directed against the heated sides 'of the tube. From the tube the heated air issues through small apertures and mingles with the ignited gas, producing a flame of intense heat, which, directed on refractory material-such as lime-causes incandescence thereof, as in the lime-light. Aconvenient arrangement for this purpose is to place the air-tube, with its internal partitions, vertically, with three, four, or more heatingthe heated air, issuing from the bottom of the central tube, mixes with gas supplied to an annular chamber surrounding the outlet, the ignited mixture issuing as a flame of intense heat, which is directed downward on the refractory materiaLrenderin g it incandescent.

For the combustion of solid carbonaceous material-such as coke-dust or coal-dust or pulverized charcoalthe apparatus isarran ged as follows: The air-tube is placed centrally within a funnel-shaped vessel of refractory material, which is charged with the carbonaceous powder. This vessel has formed at its side three,four, or more sockets or cavities, that are supplied with air and have apertures by which the air can issue in numerous small jets among the carbonaceous material in the funnel, sustaining its combustion and producing flames which are directed atthecentral air-tube. The products of combustion from these flames escape upwar'd by the annular space in a chimney or tube of refractory material surrounding the upper part of the central air-tube. The lower air-jets from the side pockets also cause combustion in the body of the carbonaceous material below the chimney, and the products of this combustion find their way downward to a number of small apertures annularly surrounding the outlet from the bottom of the 'candcsccnt. It is of advantage to subdivide the incandescent material into a number of separate sticks or rods, which are inserted in a block of fire-clay supported below the flame. Such a fire-clay block, with a'number of rods of lime or equivalent material projecting from it, may, for safety of transport, be incased in pasteboard or other combustible material, forming a sort of cartridge. This cartridge being placed below the flame, its combustible casing is immediately burned 0d and the rods are rendered incandescent.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention, Figures 1, 2, aud3 represent on an enlarged scale the several portions of the tube or apparatus for heating the air which supplies the flame, Figs. 1 and 3 being scotional views, and Fig. 2 a perspective view. Fig. 4 is a vertical mid-section, (partly in elevation at the left,) and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4 4, Fig. 4,0t'one form of the light-producing apparatus. Fig. 5 comprises a vertical section, plan, and perspective elevation of an arrangement of rods of refractory material for producing the light by incandescence. Fig. 6 is a vertical mid-section, and Fig. 7 a horizontal section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6, of the apparatus as modified, by which the heat of the products of combustion is partially recovered. Fig. 8 shows the platinum basket containing the magnesia basket, and Fig. 9 shows said magnesia basket detached. Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 illustrate a modification which will be hereinafter described.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5, (J is a tube for heating the air which supplies the flame. This tube is made of refractory material, into which are inserted deflecting-pieces or deflectors A, (seen detached in Fig. 2,) which are also made of refractory material and provided with legs is k, which rest upon the flanges of the deflectors below and keep the deflectors slightly separated. The deflector A is of hatshape, the pendent cylindrical or hollow portion having its side walls perforated,as shown. By means of a tube so provided the air in descending the tube is subdivided into small streams, which are deflected and caused to impinge a number of times against the wall of the tube Gin passing through the same. The air thus slightly heated finally issues through orifices in the end of the tube, which is surrounded by a ring, B. Fig. 3 shows a modified construction of the tube 0, in which the latter is formed of sections fitting into each other, as shown. In this construction the deflectors A form parts of the tube-sections, as will be easily understood.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 4, several like chambers, MM, (four in the figures,) are shown arranged around the air-heating tube 0, each of which chambers is divided by horizontal partitions into a number of compartments, N N, having a gas-tube, L, and an air-tube, K, passing through them. Both of these tubes are closed at the bottom and are supplied at the top, the one, L, with gas from an annular chamber, E, supplied by a pipe, F, and the other, K, from an annular chamber, B, supplied by a branch pipe, D from an air-pipe, D. The tubes L and K have lateral perforations 12 and 0, those for the gas, being of small area and those for the air, 0, of larger area, directed toward apertures s in the side of the chamber M,from which apertures issue ignited jets m of mingled gas and air, which play upon and highly heat the tube 0. By another branch, D, from the pipe D air is supplied to the heating tube 0, and the heated air issuing from its bottom meets and mingles with gas supplied to an annular chamber, 2, in ring It by a pipe, G, from the upper gaschamber, E. The refractory ring or mouthpiece B, containing the gas-chamber t and arranged to receive the heated air from the pipe 0, has an aperture, S, through its bottom, by which issues ajet,which,wheu ignited, produces intense heat. This jet is directed on a cylinder or piece, I, of lime or other like substance,

which is thus rendered brilliantly incandescent,

as in the lime-light. Instead of lime, other highly refractory substances may be employed, such as the metallic oxides, magnesia, zircon, 850.; and instead of employing a single block or piece, it is advantageous to subdivide it so as to present an extended surface.

Referring to the several views in Fig. 5,

which show the refractory material arranged in suitable form, P is a cylindrical piece of refractory material, having a socket in its bottom by which it is supported on a rod, K.

Small rods I of the lime or other refractory material to be made incandescent are fixed in sockets in the upperend of the piece B. The whole may be incased in a strong paper case, P forming, as it were, a cartridge, as shown in Fig. 5, lower view. This casing protects the rods I, which are rather fragile;. but immediately upon subjecting the cartridge to the tlame the paper casing LP is burned away and the flame impinges directly upon the rods I.

In employing the apparatus just described the gas and air should be supplied at sufiicient pressure to determine their flow through the passages and cause them to issue as jets through the several orifices. The proportion in which the air is supplied may be regulated by screw-plugs d and d, which serve to throttlc the branches D and D as shown in Fig. 4; or any other suitable means may be employed for this purpose-as stop-cocks, for example.

The apparatus may obviously be inverted, the light in that case being at the top, and an arm, 9, of any kind may be arranged to support the block I in position to be acted on by the jet.

When the gas or combustible vapors employed are rich in carbon a brilliant light may be produced without employing the incandescin g material.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, in which a modification .ofthe before-described apparatus is illustrated, the air-current arriving by the pipe D descends the tube 0, as before, and becomes heated before reaching the jet-aperture S. A portion of the air regulated by the screw-plug n branches off by the pipe T and descends by branch N into the annular chamber B. The gas supplied by pipe F enters the chamber E in'quantity regulated by screw-plug 9. From E four tubes, L, conduct the gas to the mouthpiece R, which distributes it to the jet, as before described. A portion of the gas-jet regulated by the screw f passes'byNinto B,whieh thus becomes charged with a mixture of gas and air in proportions regulated by the screws f and a. This mixture descends by the four tubes K and issues from them by the orifices 0 in jets m, which, when ignited, heat the tube G. The whole is inclosed in acasing, M, which operates asa chimney, having at the top lateral apertures 2, by which the products of combustion issue. .At the bottom the casin g terminates in two concentric cones connected by cross-tubes J, and supports a basket of woven magnesia, (shown separately in Fig. 9,) as will hereinafter be described. Through this basket the jet-flame passes, producing the light, and by the draft caused by the casing M the products ofv combustion ascend by the annular passage P, and the air entering by the cross-tubes J becomes heated and aids in supporting the combustion of the small flames m. It is obvious that the tubes K and L, as well as the spaces B and E, are heated by the products of combustion as they ascend within the casing M, a considerable.

portion of their heat being thus recovered.

For producing the magnesian threads or baskets the process is a follows: Magnesia calcined and pulverized is rendered highly plastic by thoroughly mixing it with a solutionof a salt of magnesia that is readily decomposed by heat, particularly the acetate of magnesia. The plastic paste, being put into a cylinder and subjected to moderate pressure by a piston, is caused to issue in continuous threads or tubes through a suitable die. These are then dried and thoroughly baked, during which operation the acetate becomes decomposed, the acetic acid being driven off, and there remains only compact and solid magnesia. In this manner are prepared the ma gnesian threads or needles required, which are employed in forming the rods I (shown in Fig. 5,) and the basket shown in Fig. 9. Thus the magnesian threads, as they issue from the die, are wound on a bobbin or mandrel, which turns first on the oblique axis and then on an axis at right angles to the former, so that the threads cross each other and adhere at their crossings, thus forming a net-work, which, being dried and baked, constitutes the basket formed of magnesia thread. The basket may be cased over with paper or other combustible material, so as to strengthen it for transport and handling, this easing being burned away when the jet is ignited.- The magnesian basket is supported in abasket, T, Fig. 8, made of platinum-wire or other refractory metal, with large meshes attached to a ring, N provided with bayonet-catch k or other equivalent fastening, so thatit can readily be removed to replace in it the magnesia basket.

A modified construction of the apparatus is shown in the vertical section Fig. 10, and the others, Figs. 11, 12, and 13, which will be hereafter referred to, the parts corresponding to those shown in Figs. 6 and 7 being marked by similar letters. The chamber E is in this case placed above B, so that the diameter of the apparatus can be reduced, and these spaces are supplied respectively with gas, and with the mixture of air and gas regulated as described with reference to Fig. 6, the passages and adjusting-screws being arranged in the body of the casting.

Instead of employing a basket such as is shown by Fig.8 for supporting the magnesia, an open frame of wire, T, may be used which gives freedom for the magnesian basket to expand when it becomes highly heated.

The upper part of the apparatus consists of four disks, V, U, Q, and Y, bolted on one another. In Q and Y are the cavities forming the chambers E and B. The chamber B supplies the gaseous mixture by the four tubes, K for the jets m, and the chamberE supplies the gaseous mixture to thefour tubes L, which pass through B and conduct the mixture to the refractory ring It, whence it issues to join the air, which, heated by descending the tube 0, issues by numerous small orifices, s. The two disks V and U contain the arrangement for the distribution of the gas and air, as shown by the perspective plans, Figs. 11 and 12, and the vertical section, Fig. 13, taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 10. In eacllof thedisks V and U are formed two circular chambers, A and A, which correspond exactly when the disks are superposed. In U these chambers are connected by a passage from the gas-supply F, consisting of a circular groove provided with adjusting-screws, b and g, to operate as stop-cocks. In like manner in V the chambers A and A .are connected to the air-supply tube D by a passage having adj ustin gscrewsn n There is also a passage, D, governed by a screw, d, leading to the central hole, D. The two disks are separated by a partition, 11, as shown in Fig. 13. The air from the upper chambers, A A, passes through small holes y in the partition '0 and mixes with gas entering by the passages Z, and the mixily seen that though this apparatus differs somewhat in construction from that shown by Figs. 6 and 7, its operation is substantially the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, to form a light-producing apparatus, of a main air-tube of refractory material, tubes arranged at the sides of the main air-tube, which tubes have lateral jet-orifices opening toward said air-tube and are arranged to be supplied with a mixture of air and gas, and a pipe to supply gas to the end of the main air-tube, where the gas and air mix to produce the illuminating-jet, all arranged substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the tube 0, provided with internal deflectors, a jet aperture, S, and a terminal chamber, t, the chambers M, provided with lateral jet-aperatures s and means for supplying them with a mixture of gas and air, a gas-pipe, G, leading to the chamber t, and a suitable incandescing material, I, arranged in the focus of the jet at aperatnre S, all arranged to operate substantially as set forth. 5

' arranged substantially as set forth.

. 4. An incandescing tip composed of magnesia threads made into the form of a basket, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the incandescing 5 tip, made from magnesia threads, of the inclosing basket T, made from highly-refractory metallic wire, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing 40 witnesses.

c. (JLAMOND.

Witnesses:

CARL FocKs, AMAND Rrr'rnn. 

